Thank Tom... I just pulled the trigger on a set of Russell's for the long term solution.

 

I haven't had mine apart yet, but are the rear calipers perhaps ratcheting calipers? And that's why he thinks they're locked up?

 

Rear calipers rotate in. Not press in. Go to laps and buy a rubix cube. Counteguy will know what you mean.

 

Sounds like ratcheting calipers. Yes, you need a special tool to compress the rear calipers all the way in. I've never heard of it referred to as a rubix cube, though.

 

It looks like one.. kinda

 

WTF..............Please enlighten me, I had a heck of a time getting the RR off thinking it was frozen. It was dragging for sure, BUT I've never heard of the ratcheting caliper of which you speak ?? Is there a TEC FILE on the rear brakes that you know of ?? Thanks

 

That's with integral parking brake calipers, not the DIH parking brakes these trucks have. Those talking about this haven't had Excursion brakes apart.

 

I have had my brakes apart... I was chiming in why it was called a rubix cube

Four Wheel Disc Brake Piston Tool

 

Drum in hub or not, I have never seen a rear disk brake setup that did not have threaded caliper pistons.

Does the Ex have a residual pressure valve to hold pressure in the rear lines when the brakes are not applied? EVERY car I have worked on either had a threaded caliper or a residual valve to keep pedal travel acceptable.

Eazy peazy way to tell....do you have slots or dimples in the face of the caliper piston? If you do, they must be turned while being pressed in. If they are flat, or cupped, you do not. Now, you can press the threaded ones in without the tool....but the brakes will hang and the insane amount of pressure you apply to the c clamp will be your first clue something is wrong.

 

Then I'm sorry, but you must have spent more time on lighter weight pass car vehicles. If it's got DIH parking brakes the rear pistons get pushed in. There is no threading inside the caliper.

Integral parking utilizing the disc pads for parking are not used on any vehicle that requires friction material with some metallic in its compounding, or cannot generate enough cold static friction to pass the grade hold tests NHTSA requires. That's typically anything above the 6,000 lb GVW range, but the industry is making progress.

Maintaining residual fluid pressure was only necessary with wheel cylinders on drum braked vehicles, and we got away from that on drum braked vehicles by utilizing either a spreading disc between the spring and cups or winding the end of the spring to do the same to keep the cups lips extended and sealed during brake off.

There have been a number of instances over last the half decade where people bought wheel cylinders from auto parts stores to find they had a long pedal and had to keep bleeding air out of the rear drum brakes. It turned out that the switch to off shore sourcing of wheel cylinders and repair kits the lack of the spreader or spring design allowed air to get past the cup lip since residual valving was done away with on those vehicles.

 

The Ex has DIH and does not use a ratching caliper as you are calling them.

Use a line clamp, crack the bleeder open and push the piston back. If you have a reoccurring caliper sticking issue you might want to try replacing the caliper mounting bracket. It might look alright, but they have been known to be an issue.